Everything is bigger in Texas and that includes the sun. Yes, Mother Nature believes Texas can have a combination of heat, cold, and rain in one day, but the Texas heat is no joke. When it comes to the heat and triple digit temperatures, it is important to know how to stay safe and hydrated not only for ourselves, but for our family including our fur babies.
For the Family.
We all know that water is the main source when it comes to avoiding dehydration, but what else can we do to make sure we are staying hydrated.
Eating fruits and vegetables that have a high-water content. Some fruits and vegetables that fall under this category are watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, strawberries, broccoli, zucchini, jicama, oranges, peaches, pineapple, lettuce, celery, cucumbers, radishes, and tomatoes. If you don’t like eating it alone, make it fun and delicious by adding it to salads, add a topping, create a dish, make a smoothie, season it up, make popsicles, or make a fruit cup/salad.
Not a fan of drinking water by itself or do you have those days where water seems boring and you’re looking for something more refreshing? Infuse and enhance your water with fruit, cucumber, and herbs such as mint or rosemary, ginger. Make a daily goal or set a timer to make sure you stay on track of getting the amount of water each day. The recommended number of ounces you should be drinking depends on your weight. Adding fruit made it more appetizing for my daughter since she wasn’t a fan of plain water. Thankfully, my 10 month old is a fan of it .
How much is an adequate amount of water to drink? To calculate this number, you take your current weight and multiply it by 2/3 or 67%. The equal amount is the number of ounces of water you should be drinking. Keep in mind that you will need to drink more water with physical activity. You need to add 12oz of water per 30 minutes of each physical activity. Avoid drinking a large amount caffeine and alcohol which can dehydrate you.
Avoid being out during those peak hours when it is the hottest, limit your exposure by staying in the shade, and avoid any physical activity for long period of time. If you are outside, protect your skin by using a mineral/physical sunscreen and apply it every 2 hours. Avoid using chemical sunscreens because those chemical ingredients do not protect your skin. Instead, it attracts the heat to your skin as opposed to mineral sunscreens that act as a barrier/reflector to make those harmful UV rays bounce off the skin. Chemical sunscreens would need to be applied 30 minutes prior to being out in the sun. Not protecting your skin can lead to sun burns, aging, skin changes, skin cancer, and sunspots. Our face & body sunscreen is a great option. Check it out here.
Wear appropriate clothing when outside. Bright colored clothing that is loose and lightweight to make you feel cool (both awesome ‘cool’ and temperature ’cool’ 😊), a hat to protect your face, and sunglasses to protect your eyes from any sun damage.
Children, seniors, and those that have chronic illness conditions have a higher risk of heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, dehydration, and heat cramps. Please make sure that those who fall under this category are supervised and take the necessary precautions to stay hydrated and long periods of heat exposure because their body may take a little longer to cool off.
Mist systems are such a great investment to your backyard when it comes to help keeping your family and friends cool during those heat waves while outside. It will keep you cool without getting you wet and can drop the temperature a few degrees.
Keep your passengers in the backseat cool by putting roller shades on the windows or using battery powered mini fans because we know the back tends to take longer to cool down. They also have those fun cooling hoses that attach to the front air vent that will send cool air to the back. Those battery powered mini fans also come in handy that can easily attach to the stroller to keep your little ones cool.
For the Pets.
Every time your dog is outside, make sure your pet has plenty of fresh cold water and has an area that will give them shade. If you have no trees in your backyard or a patio, you can place a tarp or canopy. A tarp and canopy will allow air flow and not trap the heat. Ice is a nice treat for your dog at a minimal amount but be sure to supervise your pet and avoid giving ice to small dogs to prevent their teeth from breaking and/or chipping. Looking for you a fun way to keep your dog happy and hydrated? Get a hard plastic kiddie pool and fill it with water and dog toys! They will have a field day with it while will keeping them cool and happy.
Avoid taking your pet on walks during those high temperature hours and check the pavement heat prior to avoid paw burns. If it feels hot when touched by your hand or foot, it will definitely be too hot for your pet. Be sure to also give your pet water while on those walks. Parks normally have fountains for your pet, but if you’re in your neighborhood or away from home and park, bring a little bowl.
Heat waves are no fun, but we shouldn’t let it stop us and our families from having fun if we are doing it the right way. Stay safe, stay hydrated, stay cool, stay protected with sunscreen, and let the good summer times roll!